Coral Sea vs Etty Bay
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Etty Bay. In both, most households own their home. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Etty Bay, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Etty Bay suits families with children.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Etty Bay
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 0%)
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 51/100)
- But Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 vs 1)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 9%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $300/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 17%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Coral Sea
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1611 km)
- has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 1103 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Coral Sea has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 2%)
- Etty Bay carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Etty Bay
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (22.4% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Etty Bay drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Etty Bay has more residents (486 vs 78); Etty Bay rents higher ($300/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 486 +523% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +22.4% |
| Median age | 36 | 41 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr | $91,780/yr +28% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $300/wk +131% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $640,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 17 days from 3 sales |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 186 across Cassowary Coast |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | +68% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 65% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 10% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 42% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 41% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more crime risk (51 vs 24).
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | Low 37/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | Low 30/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 1 |
| Beaches | 3 | 1 |
Mobility
Etty Bay sits further from the CBD (1611 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1611 km +42% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1103 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.3% postcode 4858 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 57 postcode 4858 |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (90.7%).
Setting
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 9 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 607 m 667 m to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 192 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 3,531 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 31.2°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 17.0°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,829/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Cassowary Coast |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson | Kennedy |
| Member | Andrew Willcox | Bob Katter |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland | Katter's Australian Party (KAP) |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coral Sea | Etty Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Coral Sea
Other comparisons with Etty Bay
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.